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Iran to take full control of Bushehr nuclear plant in 2 months: Official

Press TV-(Thu Aug 29, 2013) Head of Iran Bushehr nuclear power plant says Iranian experts will take full control of the plant from Russians within the next two months.

“The Bushehr atomic power plant has entered the operational phase for safe and sustainable generation of electricity,” Hossein Derakhshandeh stated on Thursday. He added that the plant will enter industrial operation phase within the next two months, when Iranian technicians assume responsibility for the facility. On August 13, Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan said Moscow is ready to increase its nuclear cooperation with Tehran even after the Islamic Republic takes full control of Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant. He added that Russia is prepared to offer further assistance on the use of peaceful nuclear energy to Iran following the handover of the nuclear facility to the Iranian side. Bushehr nuclear power plant became officially operational in September 2011, generating electricity at 40 percent of its capacity. The 1,000-megawatt plant, which is operating under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012. Iran and Russia have assured the international community that the plant is fully compliant with high-level safety standards and the IAEA safeguards. The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.